Chapter 8 Chapter Eight Prison Break

The boy shook his head to express his reluctance to do it. "Go." Borric repeated. Su Li shook his head again.He barely spoke since returning to the attic.His throat was hoarse from crying, "If I go back, they will kill me, my lord prince." Borric leaned over and grabbed the boy's shoulders, making his voice sound as scary as possible, "If you don't go, I'll kill you!" Judging from the boy's terrified eyes, he was almost there . The argument is about getting the boy back into the Governor's study again to eavesdrop on more conversations.Borric told him that the more he knew the better his chance of survival.But the panicked boy couldn't grasp the insight.

A prince who finds himself surrounded by fugitives from a neighboring court pushes the boy to the brink of hysteria.Then when he returned to the attic, he was distraught to know that every power in Deben City was looking for the prince, and everyone's idea was to kill him!It made him teeter on the edge of hysteria.And finally the heaviest blow was that the gang who wanted to get rid of the prince planned to make all the people who discovered the prince's secret disappear. He found that he was completely thrown into hysteria when he was still insisting on the little wisdom left.He sat there weeping silently, only panic making him look different from a cat whimpering from burns.

Borric finally saw that the boy needed a higher motivation to act.He shook his head angrily, "Okay, you stay here, I'll go. How to get there?" The anticipation of waking up the city with the noise of the big samurai bumping into statues and furniture in the dark was a chill to the boy.There is no adventure more intimidating than this.Trembling, the boy suppressed his fear, "No, my good master, I'll go." He was speechless for a while, trying to regain some courage, "Stay here quietly, I'll go and listen to what they have to say what." After making his choice, the boy started to act without hesitation.He walked towards the hidden door, gently lifted it, and got in silently.Borric knew he had checked everything, that the boy had the courage to do it, and would do it no matter how frightened he was if it had to be done.

Time passed too slowly for Borric, and after about an hour he began to worry.What if the boy got caught?What if instead of the round-faced little beggar, a samurai or an assassin walked into the attic? Borric picked up the blunt kitchen knife, gripping it tightly.Barely feel at ease. A few more minutes passed, and all the lonely Borric heard was the beating of his own heart.Someone wants him dead.He knew it from the football game in Krondor.That person is called "Fire King".A ridiculous name, but it belies the identity of the mastermind behind the murder of Prince Krondor's son.The governor of Deben was as much a part of the gang as the man in the black cloak.Maybe just someone delivering a message for the Fire Lord.Borric felt a headache from stress, fatigue, hunger, and discomfort after crossing the desert.But he forced himself to concentrate.But the fact that the governor of the villain's hole like Deben City is involved in this plan means two things: the mastermind of this plan is trying to make a war between the empire and the kingdom, which will involve a long list of high-ranking figures in the empire.And this plan is far-sighted, even Deben, which is so far away from the capital, has allies.

The opening of the secret door made Borric nervous, and he readied his knife. "Boss!" a familiar voice whispered.Su Li is back.Even in the dark, Borric could feel the boy's excitement. "What did you hear?" Suli crouched beside Borric, whispering what he had heard. "Lots of horrific news about your escape. Even tomorrow's auction has been canceled! It's a real surprise. All wagon trains and pack trains from the city have been searched. Any red-haired man Arrested without excuse, they will be taken to the palace for identification." "They really did everything they could to keep people from knowing I was here."

Borric was almost sure the boy was laughing and speaking, "It's hard, master, there are too many watchful eyes in the city, and sooner or later someone will find this place. And all the buildings in the city are being raided, even as we speak! I don't understand these things." Borric shrugged. "I don't understand either. What method did they use to mobilize so many people without telling why..." He walked towards a hole in the roof from which he could see The path in front of the Governor's Mansion. "There are still five to six hours before dawn, we can take a good rest."

"Master!" the boy hissed against, "How can you still rest, we must start running away!" Borric said unhurriedly, "They'll think we're running. They're looking for a man who's run away. Alone. And redhead." "Yes." The boy agreed. "So we wait here, steal some food from the kitchen, and wait for word of the manhunt to pass. In a mansion like this with so many families, we can go unnoticed for a few days." Su Li let out a long breath and sat down.This was a plan so clear that Su Li didn't want to hear Borric say it again, and he wasn't smart enough to make other proposals, so he just stayed there quietly.

Borric woke up with a yawn, his heart pounding in his chest.It was still dark.No, he corrected himself when he saw a burst of sunlight coming through the hole in the roof, it was still dark in the attic. He had a dream of his childhood playing with his brother in the palace, running from one suite to another through so-called secret passages without being seen by the servants, and when the two parted, Borric began to lose his way.He waited a long time, just alone, until Uncle Jimmy found him.Borric smiled as he recalled this.And Elland was even more confused than he was lost. Walking to the hole and looking out, Borric guessed that now was somewhat similar to then. "Eyland must think I'm dead," he said to himself.

Then he suddenly realized that he was alone here.That boy, Su Li, is gone. Borric slapped in the dark to find the kitchen knife he had thrown aside.He was barely comfortable with this simple weapon, and he wondered how the boy was doing.Perhaps he'd painted himself the perfect deal—offering a hiding place for a real red-haired slave. Borric panicked.If the boy had really traded him for his own safety, both of them would have died.Forced to calm down, he peeked out of the hole again.It was about to dawn now, and the governor's mansion began to get busy, with servants constantly busy in the main house, the side house and the kitchen.Still, there's nothing here to suggest that these are any different than a typical day.There were neither soldiers with weapons nor shouts of orders.

Borric sat back and began to think.The boy was uneducated, but he wasn't stupid either.No need to guess, he knew he would kill himself if anyone knew he was with a runaway slave.It's more like he's hiding somewhere else in town, or posing as a sailor, hiding in a boat and escaping from town. Like a serious bulimic, Borric felt his stomach bulge again. He had never been truly hungry in his life, and it would not be a strange feeling to him again.From the beginning of his journey to Deben to his incarceration in the slave camps, he had experienced so much misery about starvation that it was his absolute misfortune.But now that his tanned skin was starting to redden, and his strength was starting to return, he was more aware of the emptiness in his belly.He wondered if he could slip into the morning crowd, but quickly dismissed the attempt.Six-foot red-haired slaves were not often seen in the city, and he was sure he would be caught within a hundred paces of the kitchen.Fate premeditatedly troubled him once again, the morning breeze blew the smell of food.The kitchen prepared bacon and ham for the Doge's family.Borric began to salivate, it was a bad morning, he sat and imagined the cakes and desserts, hard-boiled eggs, fruit with cream, hot ham, freshly baked bread, fragrant coffee.

"It's no good to think about it." He blamed himself, forcing himself not to continue to collapse.Crouching down, he tried to free his controlling thoughts from the pangs of hunger.All he could do was wait for night to fall so he could sneak into the kitchen and steal some food.Yes, that's what he's going to do.wait. Borric discovered that, like hunger, he disliked waiting.Lying down, then getting up again to peek through the hole in the roof, he wondered how long it had been.He fell asleep for a while at one point, only to be disappointed to find later - judging by the fact that the light didn't change in the dark - that the hours he'd hoped had passed were actually just minutes.He returned to his resting place, a broken wooden floor in the attic made his habitat more comfortable, maybe that was just his subjective perception.He waited hungry.No, he corrected himself.He's starving now. After resting again for a while, he broke the routine and practiced a few times a kind of gymnastics that a Hadati warrior had taught him and Eland. , which they use to relax and tone their muscles.He moved around casually, reconciling loose and tense muscles.To his surprise, not only did it make him forget about his hunger, but it made him feel better and calmer. During these better four hours, Borric, on the brink of collapse, watched the people coming and going on the path in front of the governor's mansion.On many occasions, soldiers on orders hurried past Borric's view.He wondered if he had been in hiding long enough—long enough to sneak into the kitchen to steal some food—and in a few days he could slip out of their dominion.That's when he could sneak into an outbound sailboat. then what?He considers this thorny key question.Going home was a good idea, if only he could find a way.Father would only send the fastest rider to bring a warning to Elland, telling him to be careful.No need to guess, he has already raised his vigilance.To Borric's disappointment, Uncle Jimmy must have thought he was dead and responsible for the worst.This would damage the evaluation of Earl Jimmy once.At a young age, Jimmy was already considered a legend in the town of Krondor.Before Borric's father's age, he was a master thief and considered a man by the deceivers.Such a feat is indescribable, Borric thought. "No," he whispered to himself, "I must get to Elland as fast as I can. Too much precious time will be lost going home." Then he considered whether to reach Starport first if possible.Mages can do a lot of weird things, maybe there's a way to get him to Kesh faster.But Jimmy had told him that Pug would leave Starport in the days after they left, so now he was gone.The two Keshmen he left behind after he left weren't the sort of candidates he'd like to turn to for help.Both looked unpleasant.And they are Kesh people.Who knows how far the Fire King's sphere of influence is? Waking up from his contemplation, he finally breathed a sigh of relief as the night fell.The dinner was being prepared in the kitchen, and the smell of barbecue made him crazy.In a few hours, he told himself.Just take it easy and take the time...it won't be long.Only a few more hours will pass before the servants return to their rooms.Then you can steal and— Suddenly the secret door opened, and Borric raised his knife in fear to protect himself.The secret door opened, and a figure climbed into the attic.Suli Abu asked, "Is it the master?" Borric almost laughed at the surprise. "Here I am." The boy came quickly and said, "I'm afraid you'll be discovered, but I wondered if you'd be wise to stay here until I come back." Borric said, "Where have you been?" Borric could vaguely see a boy in the dark carrying a cloth bag. "I went to steal something before dawn, Master, and I decided not to wake you who were sleeping. Then I went to many places." He opened the bag and took out a loaf of bread.Without saying a word, Borric tore off a piece and started chewing.Then the boy took out a piece of cheese and a small bottle of wine. With his mouth full of food, Borric asked, "Where did all this come from?" The boy sighed, as if thankful to be back in the attic. "Today is the most dangerous day I've ever lived. I gave up on the possibility of leaving you and considered letting fate dictate. If I were caught, I would become a slave because of my poor stealing skills. If I were with you I'm implicated in his escape, and I'll be executed. So, which one is more risky? Hide until you're caught, and hope you don't tell Su Li until you're killed Abu's name.My last words I promise you will take every chance you can to live, and that's what I did, in all disgrace.Or I risk helping my master return to his father for your handsome reward. " Borric smiled. "What reward do you want when we return safely to Krondor?" Putting on a solemn expression that Borric almost laughed out loud, the boy said, "I wish to be your servant, master. I wish people to know that I am the prince's valet." Borric said, "But what about gold? Maybe a merchant?" The boy shrugged. "What do I know about business, master? I'll be a poor merchant, and I'll be broke in a year. Gold? I'll only spend it. But I'll be famous as servant to a great man too." .Don't you understand?" Borric's laughter caught in his throat.He realized that the highest ideal a street boy could conceive was to be the servant of a great man.Borric thought of the countless unknown people around him, the servants who brought his clothes every morning in the royal palace, the people who washed him, and the people who cooked for him.He guessed he knew perhaps a dozen names of several servants.They are...parts of a landscape, no better than a table or chair.Borric shook his head and sighed. "How is it, master?" Borric said, "I don't know if I can promise you a position so close to mine. Personally, I will arrange a place for you in my squire. Then your position will be as good as you are. How high was promoted. Is that fair enough for you?" The boy bowed very seriously, "My master is really graceful." The boy pulled another sausage from his pocket, "I knew you would be such a man, my good master. So I brought back a lot of things—" "Wait a minute, Su Li. How did you get these?" Said the boy, "In what appeared to be a woman's bedroom, I found a turquoise silver comb that had been left in the house by a careless maid. I sold it to a guy at the grocery market. I used He bought a lot of things with the money. Don't worry, everything I buy is from a different seller, and no one knows what I want. Here you are." He held out a shirt to Borric. This is a very ordinary shirt, but it is obviously more meaningful than the woolen fabric that the slave trader gave him.Then the boy gave him a pair of cotton trousers that sailors used to sail on the sea of ​​misery. "I didn't find the boots, master, and I've got the rest of the money for food." Borric smiled at the boy, "You're doing well. I can walk without shoes. If we're pretending to be sailors, bare feet won't attract any attention. But we'll have to sneak out to the pier at night." , and hope no one sees my red hair under the lights." "I thought of this, master." The boy took out a small bottle of liquid and a comb, "I bought this from a guy who had a lot of old whores in his merchandise, and he guaranteed that this thing would be washed. If you don’t drop it, people call it maccasa oil.” Borric opened the vial, and immediately smelled a pungent smell of oil. "It will work, the smell will make everyone recognize me." "The businessman promises that the smell will go away." "Better if you do this for me. I don't want to get this all over my head. It's very dark in here, but just enough to let you see what you're doing." The boy walked up behind Borric, unceremoniously poured the liquid on Borric's head, and then combed his hair until the oil fully penetrated Borric's hair. "With your tanned skin, Your Highness, you look like a sailor from Durben." "So what are you pretending to be?" Borric asked. "I also have trousers and a shirt in my bag. People know Suli Abu under the beggar's clothes. That dress allows me to look like a disabled person." Borric laughed loudly, and Su Li continued to dye his hair.He breathed a sigh of relief, relieved to have a chance to get out of this attic. Before dawn, a sailor and his brother ventured up a street next to the governor's mansion.As Borric predicted, there was no action near the Governor's Palace, and the logical target of ordinary people would not appear near Deben's authority.Based on this they went to the cells where the slaves were kept.If the Governor's Mansion wasn't a place to hide, so was the slave's cell.Borric didn't feel very comfortable walking in the wealthy area of ​​Deben, and two shabby characters walking by such a rich and powerful house were bound to attract attention. Borric stopped when they were a block away from the slave's cell.A bulletin board hangs on the wall of a small storage room.Rewards are marked above in red letters.Su Li said, "What's written on it, Master?" Borric read aloud, "'Grave murder.' It says I killed the Governor's wife." Borric paled. "Heaven and earth." He glanced at the other words on the notice quickly. "They said a kingdom-born slave raped and killed their governor's wife and fled in the city. They offered a thousand gold coins for my arrest." ’ Borric couldn’t believe his eyes. The boy's eyes widened. "1000? This is a windfall." Borric tried to calculate the value of the money.This is more than 5,000 royal coins, or equivalent to a year's income of a minor nobleman - such an astonishing reward for the capture of a slave fugitive who murdered the most important woman in Deben City, regardless of life or death.Borric shook his head at the heart-wrenching reality, "That despicable guy killed his wife so that I could be executed on the spot," he whispered. Su Li shrugged, "When you understand that the governor has a wife who keeps asking him for things again and again, you won't be surprised by such a murder. Abandon his first wife and go with him marrying his lover - which of course will take a while until it's right - will give him peace of mind in his two related interests, getting his lover and pleasing the Fire Lord. This stunning lover should also be considered The result of being married to a man who killed his first wife. When she's starting to age and lose her pretty face—" Borric glanced around. "We'd better move on. The city is hunting us with all its might." Su Li didn't look like he'd be able to stop babbling about the dire situation he envisioned.Borric didn't try to shut him up, and this gossip companion was less suspicious than a man who looked around suspiciously. "Now, master, we know what the governor used to get the three major guilds to provide help to capture you. The people in the governor's mansion and the three major guilds have little love, and they have even less love for the slaves who murdered nobles. " Borric could only agree.He found that the governor had made such a cold plan.Even if he doesn't love this woman, he has lived with her for many years.Isn't he miserable? Turning a corner, they saw the side of the slave camp.Because the auction was cancelled, the cell was very crowded.Borric turned his face to Su Li, walking calmly, not fast enough to attract others' attention.To the guards who could see him, he was just a sailor talking to a boy. A pair of guards turned from a street corner and walked towards them.Su Li immediately said, "No. You said you would split the sea money with me this time. I've grown up. I work like a grown-up. It's not my fault that those nets got tangled up. Yes, he was drunk—” Borric only hesitated, and then said as harshly as possible, "I said I'd think about it. Are you shut up or want me to leave you, little brother! Look at what you've been doing since I'm gone." How will I be working in 'Mom's' kitchen for a few months." The guard just glanced at the two men before walking away. Borric resisted the temptation to see if the guards were paying attention to them.If they were suspicious he would know quickly.Borric turned the corner and bumped into a man.For a brief moment, the stranger glared at Borric and muttered threatening words, his alcohol sprayed in Borric's face, and the man's drunken expression turned ferocious. "It's you!" Saraya said, reaching out to touch the long dagger on his belt. Borric reacted in an instant, he clenched his fists and hit Sarayah's chest with all his strength, accurately hitting the bottom few ribs of Sarayah.As if his fingers had pierced his lungs, the blow took away all the oxygen in Saraya's lungs.He struggled to catch his breath with a flushed face, his eyes were already blurred.Borric followed up with a punch to his throat, and pushed him forward so that he could land the next full blow on the back of the head.Borric grabbed Thalaya's arm before he fell to the ground, and if any of the guards noticed this next, they'd just see two friends, a man and a boy, helping a friend who was drunk go home. Halfway down the street, they saw an alley, turned in, and dropped the unconscious fellow on top of what appeared to be a pile of sacks of rotten vegetables.Regardless of Thalaya's reluctance, Borric quickly took his purse.Judging by the weight of the leather purse, it contained a considerable amount of coins of empires and kingdoms.It all fell into Borric's hands.He undid the belt that carried the dagger, and had hoped the man was carrying a sword.When he hesitated what to do next, Su Li took off Saraya's four rings and a pair of earrings.Then the boy took off his shoes again and found a place to hide them. "It will arouse suspicion if we leave anything of value behind," he said as he walked back. "You can kill him now, Master." Borric froze. "Kill him?" He had thought about getting revenge on the scumbag, but that would have been a duel, or bringing him before a judge to accuse him. "He is unconscious." "That would be best, Master. There will be no resistance." Seeing Borric's hesitation, he added, "Hurry up, Master, before others may see us. This city is in constant motion, and this small The alley isn't very long either. He'll be found soon enough, if he's not dead by then . . . " He deliberately didn't say the result. Borric summoned up his courage, pulled out the dagger he had just obtained, and held it in his hand.But then he was baffled by the unfinished ending: how to do it?Should he cut his stomach with a dagger, or slit his throat, or something else? Su Li said, "If you don't want to kill this dog, then let your servant do it for you, but it must be done, now! Please, Master." The thought of a child killing someone disgusted Borric even more, so he swung his arm and slit the slaver's throat with the dagger.But it was not Saraya's deathbed.Borric was surprised, and then said with a wry smile, "He's dead! The second hit must have broken his neck." Borric shook his head in surprise, "This blow to the chest and neck is Jimmy's Taught me a dirty tactic, he was not fit to be a teacher of a nobleman, but I am honored to learn from him. I did not know that a blow to the neck could be fatal." Ignoring any explanation, Suli said, "Let's go, Master." He grabbed Borric by his coat and pushed him out of the alley. When the slaver's body could no longer be seen, Borric turned his thoughts from revenge to his own escape plan.Patting Su Li on the shoulder, he asked, "Which road leads to the pier?" Su Li didn't hesitate.He pointed to a long street and said, "This way." "Lead the way, then," Borric replied.The little beggar leads the prince through the city where he tries to kill them both. "That ship," Borric said, pointing to a lone schooner at the dock.It was a carrier boat, used as a sampan, shuttled between the big ship and the dock to transport passengers, deliver messages, and carry small cargo.But if handled skillfully, it can also sail very well at sea until the weather changes.While Deben's entire pirate fleet was out to sea in search of murdered slaves, there was little movement on the docks.But Borric was pretty sure it wouldn't last long, and there were ordinary townspeople who didn't care about the hunt for the slave who murdered the Governor's wife.Soon the docks will get busy, and people will notice that a boat has been stolen. Borric saw an old coiled rope lying nearby, pointed at it, Suli picked it up, set down the wet side, and put the smelly cable over his shoulder.Borric picked up a broken chest and closed the strips that had been lifted. "Come with me," he said. The sailors of the two boats heading towards the far end of the quay attracted no one's attention.Borric dropped the box, jumped into the boat, and quickly untied the cable from the bow.He turned around and found that Su Li was standing at the stern, a troubled expression appeared on his face, "Master, what should I do?" Borric asked disappointedly, "You've never sailed before?" "I've never been in a boat in my life, my lord." Borric said, "Bend down and let people think you're up to something. I don't want to be seen with a bewildered teenage sailor on board. When we're on the road, do what I tell you to do." Borric quickly steered the boat out of the pier. Under the uninterrupted busyness, the sails were raised, and the boat steadily moved towards the sea.Borric quickly uttered a series of terms and gave Su Li some tasks.When he was done, Borric said, "Come and steer." The boy went and sat down beside Borric, and Borric handed him the tiller and the hawser that ran down the sail. "Keep your bearings." Borric pointed to the sea. "Let me see what we have." Borric went to the bow and pushed open a foredeck hatch.The cabin was unlocked, and inside he found some useful things: a sail, a rusty scaler knife, as evidenced by an honest fisherman's boat, and some frayed ropes.He guessed that any fish that would come up on these lines would be much bigger than their bait.This also has a wooden barrel fixed in the harpoon, used to store fresh water or place fresh fish when the boat returns from fishing.A rusty, oil-free oil lamp was the only thing he found afterward.Turning to the boy who was concentrating on steering and sailing, Borric said, "I think you're out of bread and cheese." The boy showed a sorry expression, "No more, master." One thing, Borric told himself, had changed under these circumstances: hunger would be their daily lesson. The nor'easter was active, and the wooden ship was at her full speed, so Borric turned her north, toward the northwest, after entering the sea.The boy looked both panicked and excited.He had been babbling since leaving port, and it was obvious the boy was frightened, but he was calm as they were occasionally eyed by the crew on the deck of a large lateen-sailed clipper as they put out to sea.Borric moved the ship closer on purpose, as if they had to go in a circle because of the size of the ship. Now that the mouth of the sea was behind them, Borric asked, "Can you climb trees?" The boy nodded, and Borric said, "Think long term—navigationally speaking, climb to the top of the mast, look around the sea and tell me what you see." The boy climbed the mast like a natural, and he ended up holding on to the top of the mast.The mast swayed acrobatically under the boy's weight, but the boy paid no attention to it.He yelled down, "Master! There's something white over there!" He pointed east, then swiped his finger from east to north. "Is it a sailboat?" "I think so, Master. They're far off the horizon and I can't see them." "How about the north?" "I think I saw the sailboat too, my lord." Borric cursed, "How about the West?" The boy squirmed uncomfortably and shouted, "Yes, it's the same here." Borric considered his options.He had considered fleeing to Leno, a commercial port to the west, or, if need be, to Remes, a medium-sized city on the southern peninsula of Dark Straits.But if there were still checkpoints there, they would have to go further north.Maybe it would end up in the Free City - if they didn't starve to death first - or venture across Dark Straits.The straits at this time of year are not very dangerous, not as impenetrable as in winter, but they remain open to a sailor of extreme bravery or foolishness. Borric signaled for the boy to come down, but when the boy approached him, Borric said, "I think we'll have to go northwest, to get closer to those checkpoints." They will definitely come after us. But if our course is steady, like we are just going to do our thing, we can fool them." He looked into the sea, "see the water from here to there How did the color change?" He pointed. The boy nods. "It's because it's a deep trench and it's a coral reef. The boat has a shallow draft and we can slide over that reef. But not the big boats we saw at the pier, they would run aground and tear them apart. We also have to be cautious; some reefs too close to the surface are dangerous for us, but we can avoid them if we are alert." The boy looked at Borric in horror.He was visibly appalled by what Borric had said and didn't understand it. "Okay," Borric said, "if we have to run I'll tell you what to look for." He looked to the western horizon, where he could just barely see some white spots on the blue-green sea. smaller. "Anything that gets us close to the shore and into the shallows is as fast as we can. Check that the sails are at the right angle to the wind to get us up to speed," Borric said. "You just watch the west Facing those white dots on the horizon, Suli, let me know if they get bigger." Concentrating on that line, the boy hung on the windward side of the boat, taking advantage of the angle of the boat to sit as high as possible on the mast so that he had only to climb a short distance up.For the next fortunate hour, the distant white spots neither grew nor shrunk, and then suddenly they were coming straight toward them. "Master!" cried the boy, "here they come." Borric turned the boat, trying to get the sails at the widest possible angle to the wind to gain full speed.But the sails in the distance are slowly getting bigger.That was a clipper. "Damn it," he cursed, "if we keep running they're going to attack." Su Li shouted, "Master, another ship!" The first ship summoned companions to intercept the skiff, and a second sail appeared on the northern horizon. "We're surrounded," Borric shouted, shaking the tiller hard, blaming himself for a foolish thing. .Of course the guards at the pier were lax, they were assigned to search for anyone who seemed to be trying to escape, and it was clear to them that there were no redheads among the two sailors.But these sentry ships only saw a sailboat on the horizon, and they wanted to make a patrol, and Borric didn't want this close inspection.In Deben, he could get away with a well-designed story, but out of town, with freedom at his fingertips, he didn't expect to be a captive again.To be captured is to die, he reminded himself. Borric looked at it and said, "Come here!" The boy hurried to the prince's side, and Borric handed him the tiller and the cables from the sail, "Keep this direction." Borric went quickly to the foredeck, took another sail from the hold, and hung it forward without pulling it up the mast. "Hoist sail! Master," cried the boy. "Not now. That would just slow us down, we're not at the right angle." He returned to the tiller. 两艘帆船开始追捕他们，现在博瑞克可以分辨出它们。北面的是一艘两桅大型帆船，船速快，但转向缓慢并且吃水深。他知道船长不会追着他到礁石群里。但他们看到的第一艘船是一艘纵向帆装的外表还光亮的单桅小帆船。刚刚才在苦难之海中出现二十多年，海盗们多是将它们用于海湾南部的浅滩上的劫掠。它们在微风下比博瑞克的小帆船船速要快，而且它们便于操作吃水也浅。博瑞克唯一指望的是能够避开那艘单桅小帆船，挂上更多的船帆，尽可能逃到最浅的海面上去。只有足够大的强风时他的小帆船才有可能跑得比单桅小帆船快。 那艘大船企图去切断博瑞克的退路，他转舵，越来越迎向顶风。接着他停船让大帆船在顶风中摇摆的前进，它的速度就像水滴在热石上一样消失了。 当他转向礁石群时，那艘单桅小帆船转为拦截他。博瑞克让他的帆露风，让那艘大船的船长认为已切断了他的后路。博瑞克集中精力，接下来的将是十分精确的事情，任何误差都将留给小帆船与单桅小帆船之间太多的空间，使得单桅船可以再次转向截住他，或是靠得太近让他们可以抓住小帆船的船帮。博瑞克猛推舵柄，好像试图再次调回头。逃避中直接驶入风眼是他在微风中的速度能超过单桅小帆船唯一的机会，但那也不会快很多。而且如果他保持这个方向，他就会直接撞向大帆船。 博瑞克让追随的船接近到可以看清船上的水手，大约有三十个外表丑陋的家伙，全部拿着刀剑和长矛。如果那里有一个弓箭手，博瑞克心想，他们俩谁都活不了。 接着他让单桅小帆船上的船员和苏力同时吃了一惊，他将船笔直的撞向单桅船。苏力大叫一声，将手臂护在脸前，认为两船相撞了，但船体相撞的断裂声并没有传来，海面上只传来单桅小帆船船员被惊吓的诅咒声。单桅船上的舵手做出了博瑞克所希望的反应，他全力的转动了舵盘。空气中充满了船长的诅咒。舵手正把船驶离他们准备用爪钩捕捉的小船，紧接着他赶忙把舵盘向回转。但是损害已经造成了。 博瑞克的帆船仍然在航行，迎风摇摆着。然后微微的向后移动。如同舞者旋转了她的脚跟，小船晃动着偏离单桅船，驶向它的侧边。帆布制的船帆“啪”的一声绷紧，回应着那声响的是如同要跃出水面似的迎风前进的小帆船。惊呆了的水手站在单桅小帆船的护栏里张着嘴巴看着这一切。接着一个人大胆的试图跳过两船间的空隙。他离博瑞克的船尾只差了几步。 博瑞克喊道，“苏力！到这来。” 苏力快跑过来接过博瑞克的舵柄，王子则向桅杆奔去。他迅速的确定了他们有足够的风力，接着他升起了第二面帆，形成了一面简陋的大三角帆。他希望这能为小船带来足够额外的速度逃离单桅小帆船。 单桅船的船长大声叫骂着，向他的手下下达着命令。很快，灵活的小艇开始调头追赶。博瑞克同时分心在船头和船尾，既要观察身后追捕他们的大船，又要留意避开航线上危险的浅水处。 苏力眼中充满了恐惧，听到博瑞克对他喊道，“右舵！” 男孩叫道，“你说什么，主人？”他迷茫的注视着王子，不明白这个专业术语。 博瑞克喊道，“向右转舵！”然后博瑞克又回头注意前方，他告知苏力，先向右转，接着向左，然后再向右，他们正驶入一片令人抓狂的浅水区。 博瑞克回头望去，大船与自己又接近了少许。他诅咒着他们，还有那大三角帆，它们还不够快。他喊道，“转向岸边！” 男孩的反应很迅速，猛烈的转向几乎让博瑞克跌倒。博瑞克看到了礁石，仅仅刚刚低于海面，他们可以绕过去，但这会让他们的船该死的停上一会儿。 当他们靠近礁石，小船呼上呼下的映衬着隆起的地面冲向波浪线所发出的声音。现在海浪声可以听得很清楚。博瑞克用手指着说，“那里！到那里去！” 博瑞克一边向幸运女神祈祷一边说道，“让我们从顶上撞过去！” 如同那位微笑的女士听到了他的祈祷，博瑞克感到小船扬起越过了他所标明的礁石。即使这样，当他们感到小船下降时，听到了一声船底撞击礁石的撕裂声，船的外壳传来一阵让人牙齿滥颤的震动。 苏力脸色苍白的蹲着，紧握舵柄，好像那是他生命中唯一值得注意的东西。博瑞克喊道，“向左！”男孩猛拉舵柄。礁石撞击木头的声音再次传入他们的耳朵，但小船已落入深水区，前进没有了阻碍。 博瑞克向后望去，看到单桅船正倾向一侧，船长正给他激动的船员下命令，绕过这片对他们这艘吃水浅的船同样致命的礁石。博瑞克长出口气。 将思路转回他的下一步计划，他指示苏力朝向海湾，靠海潮和在修正的入风角度下逐渐提速。清新的海风推动着小船，博瑞克可以看到自己与还在礁石里挣扎的单桅船间的距离每一分钟都在扩大。 博瑞克降下了临时的大三角帆，接过了苏力的舵柄。男孩一副又惊又喜的表情对他咧嘴笑着。汗水浸湿了少年的外衣，博瑞克发觉自己也是大汗满头。 博瑞克将船微微转向逆风，看到了单桅船的船帆转向更远的西北方。he laughed.即使单桅船挂上副帆，那也太迟了。当他们绕过礁石群时，博瑞克已领先他们太多，早已不知驶到哪里去了。这段距离直到黄昏时才能补回来，但博瑞克计划靠着黄昏逃得更远。 接下来的两个小时里太平无事，直到苏力离开他在船首待的地方走向博瑞克。博瑞克注意到水已溅湿了男孩的双脚。 博瑞克向下看到漏洞处在积水。“开始排水！”他叫道。 “那是什么，主人？” 对男孩不懂这个术语感到些安慰，他说，“用船里的那个桶把水从船里倒出去！” 男孩转身走进船舱，拿起木桶开始排水。一个小时后，看起来积水没有增加，但在他吃力的又工作了一小时后，水已没过了他的脚脖子。博瑞克指示他换个地方。又过了一个小时，淘水很明显被看出是个疯狂的行为，这是一个不会终结的毫无希望的工作。早晚这艘船会沉没。唯一的问题就是什么时候和它沉在哪里。 博瑞克向南望去，看到不仅海湾在向西南渐渐远离他们，而且他们现在的航向是西北，向着黑暗海峡的方向。经过他的计算，他们正在远离他们可以到达的海岸，微微朝向东北方的莱诺，在那里海岸线会转向北面。博瑞克需要迅速做一个选择，是朝向南面的海岸，还是既希望于他和苏力能继续让船浮在海面上到达里麦斯（LiMeth）南面的某处海岸。 他大概与这两处海岸有着相同的距离，他决定现在他最好的选择就是保持尽可能的速度在现有的航线上。 太阳向西移动，博瑞克和苏力轮流为小船排水，让它保持着向里麦斯的航向。接近日落时，一片散云出现在北面，海风吹在他们的面孔上，风向变了。他们的小船是在风眼上，但博瑞克认为除非开始下雨他们能坚持到陆地上。正当他考虑这些时，第一批雨点打在了他的脸上，这样在不到一个小时里，风雨将会到来。 当太阳升起时，一艘大船驶向他们。博瑞克在一刻钟前看到它突然从模糊的视野里出现，并不断向他们靠近。博瑞克和苏力两人整夜都在为防止灭顶而淘水，全都累得无法动弹。终于博瑞克攒起仅剩的一点力气站了起来。 他们在日落时落帆，决定小船在他俩排水时漂流前进比盲目的扬帆而行要保险。如果他们太靠近海岸海浪声会提醒他们注意。唯一的问题就是博瑞克不知道这片海域的海流。 这艘船是一艘横向帆装的大型三角帆的小型三桅商船。它可以来自苦难之海的任何一个国家，既可能是他们的救星也可能是他们的末日。 当大船靠到能听到他说话的距离，博瑞克喊道，“船上是谁？” 船长一边命令回舵一边走到船舷边，大船缓慢的靠到正在下沉的博瑞克船边。“旅行好手号，来自博顿（Borden）。” “你们去哪？” “去弗热法。（Farafra）”船上的人回答。 博瑞克的心再次怦怦乱跳。这是一艘来自自由都市的驶向位于龙之海的帝国城市的贸易商船。“你们可以搭上两个人吗？” 船长向下看着这对破落的水手和他们不断下沉的小船，“你们有旅费吗？” 博瑞克不想去动用他从萨拉亚那里拿到的钱币，他知道以后他会更需要它们。他说道，“没有，但我们可以干活。” “我们这里人手够了。”船长回话道。 博瑞克从崔查德船长的故事里清楚这艘船不会丢下他们——这出于航海人的迷信——但他们会索求一份报偿的契约。出海人是一群善变的人们，保留一些船员是十分困难的事情。船长在和他磋商。博瑞克抽出那把生锈的捕鱼刀，挥动着它说道，“那么我命令你们降下旗帜；你们全都是我的俘虏。” 船长吃惊的睁大眼睛，然后开始大笑。很快每个船上的水手也都笑得前仰后合。在一阵欢乐过后，船长说道，“把这个狂人和男孩带上船，然后我们的目标是黑暗海峡！”